Undergarment



4 4, s-s and transversely of its wales,

Patented May 20, 1941 2,242,526 UNDERGARMENT Arthur n. xneibie,

Kenosha, 'Wis.,` assigner to Coopers Incorporated, Kenosha, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application January 1s, 193s, sensi No. 58,806

8 Claims.

The main objects of the invention are to provide an undergarment having body fitting characteristics not heretofore attained; to provide such a garment which may be manufactured economically and at low cost; to provide a snug fitting garment having certain body supporting effects but which has certain yielding abilities whereby comfort' is attained; and in general it is theobject of the invention to provide an improved garment of the type mentioned.

Other objects. and advantages will be understood by reference to the following specification and accompanying drawing, wherein there is illustrated a garment embodying a selected form ofthe invention.

'"Injthe drawing: ,f 1 is a front elevation;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary rear elevation;

. Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are sections on the lines i B6, respectively of Fig. i. ligeferring now to the drawing, the improved garment therein illustrated .is preferably formed of knitted textile material which is so arranged in the garment that the latter is materially extensible transversely, but substantially inextensible longitudinally. Itis of course understood that such characteristics are dlnary extensibility of knitted material which is lnormally materially extensible in the direction tensible lengthwise of its wales. Hence, the wales of the material, as employed in the improved garment, are arranged to extend substantially vertically of the garment.

The garment .comprises a main body part formed of front and back more or less triangular sections or portions I0 and II, respectively, and right and left legs I2 and I3, respectively.

The triangular body-forming portions fill and II are arranged with the upper edges Il and I5, respectively, substantially in alignment and said edges are secured by stitching to a waist band 28, the .latter being preferably made of elastic webbing.

The front triangular part I0 is preferably somewhat longer than the rear part II and said front part has its lower narrow portion provided with a transverse tuck I6 and its extreme end I1 joined to the extreme lower end I8 of the rear part II by stitching as indicated at I9. The stitching I9 is preferably of a form which serves incident to the orbut not materially ex- Renewed December 27, 1938' to materially limit the transverse extensibility of the crotch portion adjacent said seam.

v The front body part I0 is preferably equipped with an angularly disposed fly or opening formed by angularly disposed overlapped fabric portions 20 and 2| which constitute portions of the front triangular part I0. The formation of this opening issubstantially as described -in my Patent No. 2,019,140, issued October 29, 1935.

It will be understood that part I0 may practically be made either of two or three separate sections suitably united preferably along lines which are covered by tape strips suchfas indicated at 22 on the outside of the garment. As indicated in Fig. l, one tape strip 22 extends vertically downwardly from the waist band of the garment a predetermined distance and then extends at an angle as indicated at 23 to the edge of the triangular front body part. The tape strip just referred to may serve to cover seams uniting either two or three body parts asr will readily be perceived. The free edges of the overlapping parts 20 and 2I are also preferably bound by tape strips, as clearly indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. One convenient construction is to form the front body part of two separate pieces, making one piece serve for the lowermost crotch-including portion and the other piece to provide the upper portion including the two downwardly pointed portions into which the lower portion fits. It is not important just how the front body part is formed, but the foregoing is a practical arrangement.

The legs I2 and I3 of the garment have upper portions provided with upper edges 24 and 25, respectively, which are arranged substantially in alignment with the upper edges I4 and I5 ofthe iront and back triangular body parts. As indicated, the upper edges 24 and 25 of the legs .are connected with the upper edges I4 and I5 of the triangular parts and with the waist band 28.

The upper portions of the legs I2 and I3 also have front and back side edges 26 and 21, respectively, which are suitably stitched to the adjacent side edges of said 4front and back triangular parts. The stitching used for forming the seams between the side edges of the upper leg portions and the side edges of the triangular parts is preferably such that transverse stretching of the garment will not be materially prevented, although iti may be of a character to reinforce the knitted material to prevent excessive stretching;

The lower portions of the legs are formed in the front triangularl any suitable manner to constitute the desired leg lengths. The garment illustrated is of the ankle length variety. but it will be apparent that the leg length may be varied to suit the demands of the trade.

As an incident to the stitching together of the sides of the upper leg portions with the sides of the triangular front and back body portions, the tuck I6 is fastened or secured in its tuck form at its sides. Intermediate its sides, the tuck is free to be pulled out so that it provides excess material adapted to be drawn out when the garment is worn to provide the desired snug body tting and supporting effect.

The tuck arrangement shown and described involves no complications in manufacturing the garment since it involves merely the provision of4 extra length in the front part l to form the tuck. Hence the described transverse tuck arrangement is preferred. However, other tuck or pleat arrangements may obviously be employed to secure the same yieldable structure which readily conforms the garment to the wf arer so as to secure the desired snug body-fitting and supporting effect,

The elastic waist band member 28 is preferably of a comparatively rough or coarse weave.

which' will tend to grip on other clothing under the waist band. The elastic waist band part 28 serves to adequately support the garment from the waist of the wearer.

By reason of the inextensible tape elements covering the seams'in the front triangular part I0 and the free edges of the overlapping portions 20 and 2l, a. direct supportingeffect for the crotch portion is obtained from the waist band. The direct supporting effect is somewhat more rm than the supporting effect which would be obtained by relying merely on the vertical inextensibility of .the knitted fabric. To further amplify the supporting effect, .the lower or crotch forming portion, i. e., the portion disposed below the inverted V formed ily the angularly disposed tape portions, may be of double weight as clearly indicated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The double thickness of material is of course more resistant to stretching than a single thickness. Also the stitching joining the sides of said crotch-forming portion with the adjacent sides of the legs, being somewhat resistant to stretching tends to carry out the supporting effect of the inextensible tape strips described.

By reason of the described triangular downwardly extending form of the front and back panels I0 and H with their downwardly convergingY side edges and the described .arrangement of the upper leg portions with their downrwardly diverging side edges seamed to the adjacent converging edges of the front and back panels, the seams joining the front panel Il with the respective side members approximately coinclde with the groins of the wearer. This is a desirable feature in that it assists in conforming the garment to the body of the wearer in that the lines of the garment follow as nearly as practicable the lines of the body.

The-garment described hask been found to be exceptionally comfortable to wear, even though it conforms to the body with sufficient snugness to provide a supporting effect. The parts .de-

scribed embody comparatively simple shapesA which are easy to cutout and handle -in the production of the garment and little waste of material is occasioned in producing the said shapes.

Hence the garment may be made economically and at a low cost.

Changes in the described structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. the scope of which should be determined by reference to the following claims, the 4same being construed as broadly as possible consistent with the state of the art.

I claim:

1. An undergarment having a crotch port-ion provided with a tuck extending transversely ,across the entire width of the crotch portion, said tuck being fastened by stitching along its side edges only and being free to be pulled out intermediateits side edges to conform to the body when the garment is worn, whereby a comfortable, yielding, supporting eiIect is obtained.

2. An undergarment comprising an endless elastic waist band adapted to support the garment from the waist of the wearer, front and back parts constituting front and back body portions of the garment, said parts having horizontally elongated upper edge portions joined to said elastic waist band and having lower-most portions narrowed in width and joined to form a narrow crotch portion of Ythe garment, said narrow crotch portion being provided with a tuck extending transversely across the entire width of said narrow crotch portion, said tuck being fastened by stitching adjacent its side edges only.and being free to be pulled out intermediate its side edges lto conform to the body when the garment is worn, and to permit the garment to more or less adjust itself within certain limits to varying body lengths.

3. An undergarment of the class described made of elastic material, the garment being stretchable circumferentially and comprising a front panel tapering downwardly and having an end portion extending upwardly on the seat portion of the garment and of suitable width at the crotch to serve as a supporter, a back panel tapering downwardly and having its lower edge seamed lto the end of the supporter portion, and

' a pair of side panels each having a body portion and an integral tubular leg, said body portions tapering upwardly andfhaving the side edges thereof secured to the side edges of the front and back panels, the inner sides of said legs extending downwardly from the crotch.

4. An undergarment of `the class described made of velastic material, the garment being stretchable circumferentially and comprising a front panel, a back panel and a pair of side panels; said front and back panels each 'tapering downwardly and one of said panels having an end portion passing through the crotch and seamed to the other above the crotch and of suitable width at 'the crotch to serve as a supporter; said side panels each having a body portion and an integral tubular leg, said body portions .tapering upwardly and having the side edges' thereof secured to the side edges of the 4front and back panels, the inner Isides of said legs extending downwardly from sa-id crotch.

5. -A mans undergarxnent made of knitted material having substantially vertically extending, relatively non-extensible wales and which is stretchable circumferentially `and adapted to lit snugly all parts of the body so that the material of the garment is under tension circumferentially while being worn, said undergarment having an elastic waist band which exerts a greater constrictive force than the knitted material of 'the garment and which serves to at least partially support the garment in the vertical direction through the substantially inextensible wales of the knitted material employed: a iront panel attached to said waistband andtaperlng downwardly toward the crotch and of suitable width at the crotch to serve as a masculine supporter; a rear panel extending upwardly and rearwardly from said crotch portion and connected at its upper edge to said waistband; and side panels forming lateral coverings for the trunk and thighs between said" iront and back panels and connected thereto along their adjacent edges to form a.P complete garment, the. lower portions of said sid'evpanels forming integral tubular legs extending downwardly irom said crotch; the seams connecting the upper edges of said side panels to the iront panels being relatively inextensible and being disposed along lines substantially coincident with the groins oiffthe wearer, said seams serving to resolve and transmit the lateral and vertical forces of the iront and leg panels in the upper part ot said garment so as to sustain and stretch transverselythe material constituting the masculine supporting crotch of said garment, and serving with said waistband, at all times to maintain said garment in snug body iit` ting relation on the wearer thereof.

6. A mans undergarment made oi' knitted material having substantially vertically extending, relatively non-extensible wales and which is stretchable circumferentially and adapted to lit snugly all parts of the body so that the material of the garment is under tension circumferentially while being worn, said undergarment having an elastic waistband which exerts a greater constrictive force than the knitted material o! lthe garment and which serves to at least partially support the garment in the vertical direction through the substantially inextensible wales of the knitted material employed: a front panel attached to said waistband and tapering downwardly toward the crotch and of suitable width at the crotch to serve asa masculine supporter; a rear panel extending upwardly and rearwardly from said crotch portion and connected at its upper edge to said waistband; andside panels forming lateral coverings for the trunk and thighs between said iront and back panels and connected thereto along .their adjacent edges to form a complete garment, the lower portions oi' said side panels forming integral tubular legs extending downwardly from said crotch; the seams connecting the upper edges of said side panels to the iront panels being relatively inextensible and being disposed along lines substantially coincident with the groins oi' the wearer, said seams serving to resolve and transmit the lateral and vertical forces of the front and leg panels in' the upper part of said garment so as to sustain and stretch transversely the material constituting the masculine supporting crotch oi said garment, and serving with said waistband, at all times to maintain said garment in snug bodytting relation on the wearer thereof; said undex-garment further having a ily opening in said iront panel so disposed as to be normally maintained closed by the pulling forces existing in the garment itself when worn.

7. A mans undergarment made oi knitted material having substantially vertically extending, relatively nonextensible wales and which is stretchable circumferentlally and adapted to tit snugly all parts oi the body so that the material of the garment is under tension circumferentially while being worn, said undergarment having an elastic waistband which exerts a greater constrictive force than the knitted' material of the garment .and which serves to at least partially support the garment in the vertical direction through the substantially inextensible wales of the knitted material employed; a front panel attached to said waistband and tapering downwardly toward the crotch and of suitable width at the crotch to serve as a masculine supporter; a rear panel extending upwardly'and Arearwardly from said crotch portion and connected at its upper edge to said waistband; and fside panels forming lateral coverings for the trunk and thighs between said iront and back lpanels and connected thereto along their adjacent edges to form a complete garment, the lower lportions oi' said side panels forming integral tubular legs extending downwardly from said crotch; the seams connecting the upper edges of said side panels to the front panels being relatively inextensible and being disposed along lines substantially coincident with the groins of the wearer, said seams serving to resolve and transmit the lateral and vertical forces of the front and leg panels in the upper part of said garment so as to sustain and stretch transversely the material constituting the masculine supporting crotch of said garment, and serving with said waistband, at all times to maintain said garment in snug body-litting relation on the wearer thereof; said undergarment further having a y opening in the front panel thereof disposed at an angle to the vertical and horizontal tension forces existing in said garment when worn, whereby the edges of said ily opening are normally maintained closed by the resultant of said forces. y

8. A mans undergarment made of knitted material having substantially vertically extending, relatively non-extensible wales and which is stretchable circumferentlally and adapted to fit snugly all parts oi the body'so that the material or the garment is under tension circumferentially while being worn, said undergarment having an elastic waistband which exerts a greater constrlctive force than the knitted material of the garment and which serves to at least partially support the garment in the vertical direction throughthe substantially inextensible wales of the knitted material employed; a iront panel` attached to said waistband and tapering downwardly toward the crotch and of suitable width at the crotch to serve as a masculine supporter: a rear panel extending upwardly and rearwardly from said crotch portion and connected at its upper edge to said waistband; and side panels forming lateral coverings for the trunk and thighs between said front andl back panels and connected thereto along their adjacent edges to form a complete garment, the lower portions of said side panels forming integral tubular legs extending downwardly from said crotch; the seams connecting the upper edges of said side panels to said `iront panels being disposed along lines substantially coincident with the groins of the wearer and being capable of exerting a pulling force sufiicient to resolve and transmit the lateral and vertical forces of the front and les panels in the upper part of said garment so as to sustain and stretch transversely the material constituting thee-.masculine supporting crotch of said garment, and with said waistband to maintain at vall times said garment in snug body f1tting relation on the wearer thereof.

ARTHUR a. 

